Category: Boston Gang Wars

John Martorano tells a tale about Reddington. He called him a Roxbury loan shark and went on: “Wimpy Bennett borrowed $25,000 from Reddington, then figured out a way he wouldn’t have to pay. He called one of the local McLaughlins, a guy named Spike O’Toole, and told him that Reddington had been sleeping with his…

Robert Rasmussen was no stranger to crime. Born in June 1928 he was sentenced in February 1952 to 2 ½ to 3 years in state prison as an accessory before the fact to an armed robbery. Released in August 1954, he was again sentenced to 3 to 4 years in state prison in May 1958…

John Murray was the older brother of William Murray. John was present at the time of the murder of William T. Treannie, which is written about later. Setting aside Janice O’Keefe who said she was also present at the Treannie murder, two others were at the scene, John’s brother William and Robert Cook. William and…

On May 4, 1964, the owner of a car which had been stolen the previous November was notified his car had been found. He went with his wife to check it out. He looked at the interior and was satisfied it was his.  He then went to the trunk to see if his golf clubs…

Nathan Colsia was involved in bookmaking and other gambling activities for many years. His criminal record went back to 1946. In 1950, he offered Watertown Selectman Chairman Roy C. Papalia $500 a month for “protection” for his planned bookie operations. He made a cold call to Papalia to arrange a meeting. He told him he…

A key to figuring out unsolved murder is understanding who oversaw the area of the city where the murder took place.  John Martorano wrote that “Roxbury and the South End were controlled by” Wimpy Bennett. Wimpy proved his tough guy status as a tail gunner on a B-29 during WWII. Martorano called Wimpy “the Fox.”…